Weed Control
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By virtue of the Weeds Act 1959 and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, the County Council has a statutory duty to control harmful/noxious weeds on the highway. Hence, the Council will undertake to treat the following harmful weeds: broad leaf dock, creeping thistle, curled dock, spear thistle and ragwort. We also treat the notifiable weeds, giant hogweed and Japanese knotweed. One of the more common harmful weeds is Ragwort, most notable by its distinctive yellow flowers which bloom from July to October. Unfortunately, it can prove fatal to cattle if ingested. It is treated by a combination of targeted applications of weedkiller in the early part of the growing season and removal by hand later in the season.
The County Council also treats weeds that are likely to create a hazard, cause structural damage to the highway, affect drainage systems or create an adverse visual image. The majority of weed-spraying operations are done in the spring/early summer as this coincides with the main growing season.
Historically, two very effective weedkillers - Atrazine and Simazine - were used. However, they have been banned for non-agricultural use since 1992. We now have to use environment-friendly, but less effective, chemicals which require repeated applications to control injurious and notifiable weeds. These normally only work on contact with established plants and their effectiveness is reduced by rainfall.
Please contact your Area Highways Team for further information.
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